Surprise of tkd weekend

After weekend spent on Czech Open, one would enjoy one weekend of relax, doing nothing and healing of body.

VIDEO

So we had sparring seminar on Saturday (and it hurt) and on Sunday Dan promotions (3 hours of sitting is hard job, you know) and seminar with GM Hwang. Martin Záměčník (Czech federation president) told me and Tomáš Kuba (boss of Il Kyok dojang) that Eugenij Piksaev - russian national team member, multiple medallist from World championships, student of master Pak Bong Dok and owner of one of the fastest non-asian hands I´ve ever seen, is here on visit and will lead training we are invited to. He´s just as old as me (yes yes a bit of envy). Eugenij looked a bit confused from leading special training, very confused from fact that there are taekwondists from 9. kup to IV. Dan and accurately confused from fact that he speak only russian and we not. Fortunately Marinator (Marina Baranova) was here to translate (in a bit confused way, but after all funny way).
Training wasn´t interesting regarding of what techniques we practiced, we did some fundamental exercises and patterns up to I. Dan. Eugenij tried to pass to us his ability and understanding of power and correct breathing. Everyone (?) knows how to do it, but try to practice like Eugenij. We started with punch in narani sogi, slowly at first then slowly with sharp ending and finally with maximum concentration of power.
Minds understood, but bodies weren´t able to do it. And this principle was idea of whole training, nothing more and nothing less, but after all, maximum power is the main thing we focus in physical part of taekwondo, don´t we?
I have to say, with all respect, that in my opinion, the way Eugenij is generating his sharp ending of techniques is not absolutely correct. He practices in way as some korean, russian and generally asian competitors. At the end of techniques hips goes in opposite direction as hand, so techniques looks really sharp, but physical power does not go in 90 degrees to target as it should. So visually superpowerful, but in reality they can generate more of it. It´s like throwing a javelin while running backwards.
I think we want to bring together their sharp movements (shown by Eugenij in great way - I´ve tried to show the same leading my training day after and I was both laughing and crying at myself, but that is the motivation and where is a will there is a way, as we know :o) ) with idea that GM Hwang is teaching us - concentration of whole body in direction of technique.
Eugenij himself agreed that he knows many of czech national team members that have great power, but their end of technique is not so sharp so referees does not prefer them. In other words that correct does not always bring medals. And that he slowly tries to change russian point of view on technique.
On of us asked at the end of training what is his receipt for such a speed. And he just told us his story, he started taekwondo in age of 11 and till 22 he did not win anything. Then he started individual trainings with master Pak Bong Dok and it took 3 years to achieve first success.
This was the most interesting part of training for me. Eleven years is time that took most of people to finish their practice, to stop taekwondo from different (mostly false, I think) reasons, but he decided that he has to change his approach to training and really did it.

So another experience that showed me that I have lot to learn.

I would like to thank sabom Piksaev for very interesting traninig (and sorry that I probably looked unhappy, but that is the way I always look when got interested) and sabom Zámečník that he is inviting me to these events.

Get motivated :o)
YouTube video

Carpe diem.

Svíťa (Martin Svitek, III. Dan)